REVOLVING DOOR:
Ian March has been appointed Operations Manager for Local Radio Lab as part of a management shuffle as the company focuses on building the “Indie” brand across its stations. Mike Religa moves into March’s former role of Program Director for Indie88 (CIND-FM) Toronto and will continue as Indie88 Music Director. Brandon Ripco has been appointed Content Director for Local Radio Lab and Assistant Program Director at Indie 88.
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Josie Balka, morning show co-host on Country 105 (CKRY-FM) Calgary, has been released by Corus Entertainment. Balka, who is also a published author with a TikTok following of more than 965K, had been with the station since 2021 when she stepped in for the retiring Robyn Adair. Gregg Reynolds continues on the morning show solo.
Rob Chiaramida and Corus Entertainment have parted ways. Chiaramida had been with Corus since 2005, most recently holding the title of VP, National Radio and Eastern Canada.
Rhonda Brown is stepping down as News Director and Station Manager at Global News Halifax. Brown had been with the station for 13 years and in her current role since 2017.
Susan Kohar has been restructured at Corus Entertainment after 13 years with the company. Kohar was most recently the Regional Business Manager for Global News, based in Toronto.
Allison Dore is stepping away from her afternoon drive show, The Breakdown, on SiriusXM Canada’s Canada Talks channel after 12 years. A day one staple on the channel, Dore’s final show will air on Dec. 19.
Kevin Perkins is retiring from Farm Radio international after 20 years as the non-profit’s Executive Director. He’ll step down at the end of December, when longtime Director of Programs Ian Pringle will succeed him in the role. Perkins will stay on as an advisor and volunteer with the organization.
Joanne Legin is returning to radio and Toronto’s 680 News (CFTR-AM) after seven years working in communications at World Vision. Caught up in restructuring at the charity earlier this year, Legin joins 680 News as Senior Weekend Editor. She started her journalism career at the station in 2005.
George Hayes has retired from 99.9 FM The Fox (CFGX-FM) Sarnia after 25 years, holding roles including morning host, Program Director and Operations Manager. Hayes career started in Woodstock and then Leamington on CHYR in 1984. He went on to be heard as one of the first announcers on K106.3 (CHKS-FM) Sarnia when the station launched in 1999.
Natalie Diezyn is the new Head of Brand at woman-led content studio, SickBird Productions. She’ll lead brand partnerships across socials, podcasts, and original unscripted content. She joins SickBird after holding marketing, publicity and partnerships roles with The Walt Disney Company, Warner Bros., and The TARO Group, where she drove global campaigns, shaped digital strategy, and partnered with creators to deliver branded content. SickBird has offices in Toronto, New York, L.A. and London.
Fion Anastassiades, Fraser Lockerbie, and Tatiana Hermanns have been appointed to the TVO Board of Directors. Anastassiades, an Ottawa-based management consultant joins the TVO board as Vice Chair on a three-year term. Lockerbie, founder of political advertising and creative firm, Civil Agency, comes on as a director for the next two years. Hermanns, a broker at Toronto’s Chestnut Park Real Estate, also joins as a director on a two-year term.
RADIO & PODCAST:
Numeris’ latest PPM release completes the 13-week period covering Sept. 1 – Nov. 30. With this book, radio retains an average weekly reach of 81% for Canadians A12+. In home represents 53% of tuning, while out of home represents 47% of tuning. About 10% of radio consumption comes from AM/FM live radio streaming. Check out David Bray’s breakdown of the top performers in Toronto, Montreal, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver here.
Stingray has announced the launch of BYD Audio by Stingray, a co-branded music, podcast and radio solution for automakers. Montreal-headquartered Stingray says the new offering allows drivers to effortlessly switch between its music library, including access to Stingray Karaoke with microphone, four million podcasts, and thousands of global radio channels. The in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) service can be tailored to any automaker’s brand identity and target demographic, supporting both premium and ad-supported subscription models. Read more here.
Akash Broadcasting is launching a court challenge over the CRTC’s October denial of its application to acquire CKMX Calgary from Bell Media. In its decision, the commission wrote that “the applicant did not demonstrate that the Calgary transaction is the best proposal under the circumstances.” In the same decision, it approved the B.C.-based broadcaster’s bid to purchase CFRW Winnipeg from Bell.
CHCH-TV and 1150 CKOC Hamilton have partnered to bring the CHCH Evening News at 6 p.m. to radio audiences every weeknight. The program is being aired in its entirety, simulcast with the CHCH-TV live TV broadcast. In 2026, CHCH will celebrate its 72nd anniversary, while CKOC will enter its 104th year of continuous local broadcasting.
CJAD 800 Montreal has celebrated 80 years. Founded by J. Arthur Dupont, the station signed on Dec. 8, 1945, with the call sign based on his initials. CJAD marked the milestone with an event that was livestreamed on YouTube.
Harvard Media’s 620 CKRM Regina is turning 100 in July and is reaching out to all past employees. If you worked with the station in any capacity—whether on-air, in sales, copywriting, traffic, reception, news, or promotions—CKRM wants to reconnect and hear your stories. Learn more here.
The Saskatchewan Country Music Association Awards were handed out Nov. 30 in Regina, recognizing Saskatoon Media Group’s 92.9 The Bull (CKBL-FM) as Radio Station of the Year – Major Market, while Harvard Media’s GX94 (CJGX-FM) Yorkton took home the Secondary Market honour. Matt Ryan of Pattison Media’s 102.3 CJNS Meadow Lake was named On-Air Personality of the Year, while 92.9 The Bull’s Matt Bradley won Music Director of the Year.
LISTEN: Deepa Prashad, one-half of the Daryn & Deepa show on Virgin Radio (CKFM-FM) Toronto, has been named the 2025 Young Broadcaster of the Year. Presented annually in memory of late programmer Steve Young, the award is voted on by past honourees and was handed out this year alongside Broadcast Dialogue’s Canadian Radio Awards. Deepa joins Broadcast Dialogue – The Podcast to talk about her meteoric rise in radio, developing her passion for what’s essentially her second full-time job – content creation, representing her West Indian heritage, and more.
LISTEN: Sue Haas, Chief Growth Officer for Nlogic, returns to the Sound Off Podcast to discuss the evolution of media measurement, focusing on the launch of Numeris’ cross-media national data set, VAM (Video Audience Measurement), which covers 95% of Canadian video platforms. Haas highlights the integration of first-party data from global streamers and ad tech companies, aiming to provide comprehensive video viewership insights. She also touches on the challenges of attributing viewership on platforms like TikTok and the importance of Canadian-specific data.
SIGN OFFS:
Kent Guy, on Dec. 8. A longtime marketing and communications professional, Guy spent 15 years with Corus Entertainment’s Radio division as Director of Promotions and New Media for Corus Radio London and Woodstock, starting in 2006. During his time there, he also took on duties with the local JUNO Awards host committee, serving as the local Director of Sponsorship for the 2019 event. After parting ways with Corus in early 2021, Guy went on to work with Ronald McDonald House in Southwestern Ontario, most recently holding the title of Senior Manager of Communications and Associate Director of Community Relations. He also taught part-time in the media program at Fanshawe College.
Jim MacLeod, 78, unexpectedly on Dec. 4. MacLeod started his broadcasting career in 1967 as an announcer at CKDH Amherst, NS. That same year, he joined CHUM Limited’s CJCH Halifax, before detouring to take on program director responsibilities at CFBC Saint John. He returned to CJCH in 1972 before taking a four-year break from broadcasting to serve as National Executive Director of the Canada Jaycees, the Junior Chamber youth leadership organization. MacLeod went back into broadcasting in 1977 with Jack Schoone’s Eastern Broadcasting, serving as General Manager of CFOR Orillia and later CKGB/CFTI FM Timmins. In 1981, MacLeod returned to CHUM to helm three-station Alberta group – CKDQ Drumheller, CKSQ Stettler, and CIBQ Brooks. He moved back east in 1987, where he was named President of NewCap, a role he served in until 1993 when he rejoined Schoone as a minority partner and president of Radiocorp Inc., which purchased CKLH FM/CKOC Hamilton and CJBX FM/CJBK London. Telemedia acquired the stations in late 1999, with MacLeod remaining on as Executive Vice-President. In February 2001, he was appointed President & CEO of BBM Canada, staying with the measurement bureau through its rebrand as Numeris in 2014. He held the role until early 2016. MacLeod was also active as a board member and chairman of the Radio Marketing Bureau and the radio advisory board of the Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB). Read more here.
Heather Thompson-Lavallee, 69, on Dec. 5. A graduate of the Canadore College Radio and Television program, Thompson’s broadcasting career took her to Huntsville, Timmins, North Bay, and eventually Orillia, where she served as news director and morning show host for CICX-FM for more than a decade from 1997 – 2008, through its ownership transition from Telemedia to Rogers, and then Larche Communications when it rebranded from EZ Rock to KICX 106. Outside of her work in radio, she helped establish Gilda’s Club Barrie (now Gilda’s Club Simcoe Muskoka), supporting cancer patients and their families; served as Regional Director of the RTDNA (Radio Television News Directors Association) from 2000-04; and handled publicity and media relations for the Orillia Terry Fox Run, Orillia Jazz and Blues Festival, and Barrie’s Theatre By the Bay, among other organizations and events she lent her time to.
Dave Alendal, 84 on Oct. 23. Alendal was a longtime employee of S.W. Davis Broadcast Technical Services. Based in Prince George, he was instrumental in the technical development of CKPG radio and television. In the 1970s, he left CKPG to divide his time between CJCI, CIRX and Central Interior Cablevision. The radio company grew to become Cariboo Central Interior Radio in the 1980s and ‘90s, with AM and FM radio stations throughout the Central Interior, Cariboo and Bulkley Valley regions of British Columbia. Alendal rose to the position of Chief Engineer, leading the company’s technical department, while also serving on its Board of Directors until his retirement in 2006.
TV & FILM:
Netflix and Warner Bros. Discovery have entered into an agreement that will see the streaming giant acquire Warner Bros., including its film and television studios, HBO Max and HBO. The USD $82.7B dollar cash and stock transaction, valued at $27.75 per WBD share, was expected to close following the previously-announced spinoff of WBD’s Global Networks division, Discovery Global – encompassing CNN, TNT Sports in the U.S., Discovery free-to-air channels in Europe, Discovery+ and Bleacher Report – into a new publicly-traded company, anticipated in Q3 2026. However, that announcement was followed by a $108.4B hostile takeover bid from Paramount Skydance. Netflix Co-CEO Ted Sarandos said he’s still confident its deal will be completed. The acquisition has the potential to impact current Warner Bros. Discovery Canadian content agreements with Bell Media’s Crave and Rogers Sports & Media in the longterm. Read more here.
CBC and TIFF: The Market have partnered to present the Charles Officer Legacy Award, a $25,000 award recognizing the late filmmaker’s enduring influence on Canadian storytelling. It will honour a Black director and/or writer whose work reflects the creative excellence, distinct perspective, and community-mindedness Officer embodied. It’s open to Black writers and/or directors working in film, series, and documentary who have one or more feature films that have premiered at a major film festival, or one or more writing and/or directing credits on a series (including digital) commissioned by a network or platform. Nominations close Jan. 5.
The Quebecor Fund Board of Directors has announced the Canadian production companies that will receive financial backing in the 51st round of the fund’s Television Production Assistance Program. The fund will disburse a total of more than $2.2 million this round.
MADE | NOUS has released part one of its three-part series, The Stories that MADE Us, the docuseries emerging from this summer’s cross-country journey led by broadcaster George Stroumboulopoulos. The series is available on YouTube and made-nous.ca, with remaining episodes dropping in winter 2026.
CHCH-TV and CHEK are hosting their fourth annual live New Year’s special, The Countdown to 2026. Hosted by George Stroumboulopoulos, the show – shot in front of a live studio audience – will feature live performances by Sloan and Big Wreck. This year’s program will air Dec. 31 at 10 p.m. ET (7 p.m. PT), featuring 2.5 hours of live music, culminating in a countdown to midnight on conventional TV as well as chch.com, Parrot TV, YouTube, and CHEK+.
CBC’s New Year’s Eve programming includes a satirical sendoff to 2025 with This Hour Has 22 Minutes New Year’s Eve Pregame Special, followed by a special Live Cross-Canada Countdown hosted by Adrienne Arsenault, Jann Arden, Ian Hanomansing and Andrew Phung, counting down to 2026 in all six time zones across the country. The live special begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on CBC News Network, CBC Gem, the CBC News app, cbcnews.ca, CBC News streaming channels and the CBC News YouTube channel, as well as CBC Radio and CBC Listen at 9 p.m. in each time zone (9:30 NT).
Shamier Anderson and Stephan James, co-founders of The Black Academy and Bay Mills Studios, will launch The Legacy Lounge, an In Conversation series honouring the legacy and achievements of Black Canadians. The four-part, half-hour series will feature in-depth conversations with a new group of Black Academy honourees, highlighting their contributions to society and the legacies they are creating. The Legacy Lounge is a reimagined format of The Legacy Awards and part of an ongoing partnership with CBC. It will premiere during Black History Month in February on CBC Gem and CBC TV.
Blink49 Studios and CBC have announced they’ve joined forces to produce an untitled special that explores the intersection of hockey, culture, politics, and Canadian national identity, through the lens of the historic 4 Nations Face-Off. The feature, with the cooperation of the NHL and NHL Players’ Association (NHLPA), is currently in production and set to premiere on CBC and CBC Gem early next year, on the eve of the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026. In February, Canada’s victory over the U.S. in the 4 Nations Face-Off championship game, sealed by Connor McDavid’s OT goal, was a galvanizing moment of national pride. The special draws on behind-the-scenes access and conversations with NHL stars, prominent Canadian and American voices, and a range of superfans. It’s directed by Emmy-nominated filmmaker Yon Motskin, who also executive produces alongside P.K. Subban.
Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) and CBC/Radio-Canada have renewed their Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) allowing the two public broadcasters to share expertise on production, distribution and discoverability of news content; collaborate on podcasts; and co-develop and co-produce documentary, natural history, and children and youth programming. The latest kids co-production co-commissioned by the two broadcasters is It’s Andrew! (40×7, Pirate Size Productions, Mainframe Studios, and Infinite Studios), which premiered in English this week on CBC Gem and CBC TV. The French-language version will debut on ICI TOU.TV and ICI TÉLÉ in 2026.
Corus Entertainment’s drama networks Showcase and W Network have announced their midseason lineups. Showcase debuts include Amadeus, premiering Monday, Jan. 5, a limited series starring Will Sharpe (Girl/Haji, The White Lotus) as musical prodigy Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Paul Bettany (WandaVision) as envious court composer Antonio Salieri; espionage thriller series The Copenhagen Test starring Canadian Simu Liu (Jan. 6); and limited drama series Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy (Jan. 7), filmed in Toronto and starring Michael Chernus (Severance, Dead Ringers). W Network premieres include Z Suite starring Lauren Graham (Gilmore Girls), Nico Santos (Superstore) and Madison Shamoun (The Lake) premiering with back-to-back episodes on Jan. 5, and horror comedy The ‘Burbs, a series adaptation of the 1989 film of the same name starring and executive produced by Keke Palmer (Nope, Password).
The National Film Board (NFB) has joined the International Federation of Film Archives (FIAF), a global community of organizations devoted to preserving and sharing the world’s film heritage. Founded in 1938, FIAF brings together leading non-profit film archives worldwide to collaborate and share knowledge. Works in the NFB archives predate the organization’s founding in 1939, with footage dating back as far as 1896.
REGULATORY, TELECOM & MEDIA:
The Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) has released the findings of its fifth annual national Canadian Newsroom Diversity Survey. This year’s voluntary survey collected data on 5,662 journalists from 325 newsrooms across radio, television, digital and print media. It found that while minorities remain under-represented in supervisor and leadership roles, most racial percentages for full-time journalists are close to their census data, with the exception of those white and mixed-race, who are overrepresented, and Asian full-time journalists, who are underrepresented. Just over 50% of all journalists identify as women, compared to 49% who identify as men and 0.9% who identify as non-binary, marking an increase in women and non-binary journalists from last year. About 74.9% of journalists identify as white, 3.9% as Indigenous and 21.2% as a visible minority.
The RTDNA Future Journalists Program is now open to applications until Jan. 4. The program invites media and journalism students to explore Canadian broadcasting with guided tours of newsrooms, q&a webinars with journalists, networking opportunities and the opportunity to volunteer at the RTDNA National Awards Gala in November.
